Sarah Greenslade and Debs Cardwell, from Brixham, Devon, were walking along the coast when they spotted the distressed baby seal at Shoalstone Pool, a sea water lido next to the sea, on Monday morning.

Ms Greenslade said: "He was crying and trying to climb back out."

The two women fetched a blanket so they could wrap up the seal pup and return him to the sea.

Ms Greenslade added: "He never struggled once. We passed him to each other as we climbed over the rocks.

"I kept stroking his head and when we put him in the water he calmly swam off - but stopped to look back at us before we could see his mum swimming towards him.